Oven at 350. Spray muffin tin with no-stick then flour them also. Mix wet ingredients(minus the water), mix dry, mix them together, NOW add the water. Scoop into prepared cupcake pan. Place one slice of pear on the top of each muffin. Press down lightly. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Place small piece of chocolate on each muffin. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes. Use butter knife to spread around chocolate.

I didn’t put the chocolate on mine because I didn’t have any. Plus, these are being donated to the VFW for tomorrow night’s fish fry. They love me there. Plus, I work there so they HAVE to love me, you know?

I made these fabulous mashed potatoes for dinner tonight. It was a very simple recipe but when I just throw things together, I tend to not use measurements so I’m what you call freeballing here.

4 baking potatoes, peeled, diced, boiled until soft, about 15 minutes

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

6 cloves minced garlic (you can cut this amount in half if you actually WANT to kiss your husband later)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 to 3/4 cup veggie broth

1/4 cup margarine

salt, pepper to taste

Once the water has been drained from your potatoes, grab your hand mixer and get going with it. Add the veggie broth a little at a time. You don’t want them to be soupy but you still want them creamy so pay attention. Set aside. Heat olive oil in pan, toss in garlic. After 2 to 3 minutes, toss in peas, salt and pepper. After about 7 minutes, toss in your margarine until melted. Immediately add to the potatoes and mix around. Yes, the peas get mushy. So what? They’re peas! And now they’re garlicky…mmm… Here’s what mine looked like-

Next time- Iron Cupcake!! Until then, email me with question if you have valid questions, I mean.

Your teachers were wrong- there IS such a thing as a stupid question.

****Edited note: After tasting one of these muffins, I decided that they needed…something. I could REALLY taste the molasses. Perhaps a little too much, so i perused my cabinets and found- tada!- tropical source chocolate chips! I melted half a cup with a tablespoon of my Trader Joe’s soy creamer, stirred it like mad then plopped a spoonful on top of each one, like the original recipe called for. Waaaaay better. Here are the new pics:

Mmm…they even LOOK better, don’t they? I don’t think there’s anything in life that you can’t add chocolate to that it doesn’t immediately taste better. Except onions.